Pumping jack



F. H. RUED PUMPING JACK sept. 13, 1949.

s sheets-shet 1 Filed May 6, 1946 !HlmHhH F. H. RUED PUMPING JACK Sept. 13, 1949.

3 Shee'ts-Sheet 2 Filed lay 6, 1946 INVENTOR.

fred/7- Pared l mlrnlu-Hrmw Sept. 13, 1949. F.,H. RUED 2,481,623

PUMPING JACK V Filed lay 6, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. fred /z ,n/aa

Patenfed sept. 13, 1949' UNITED STATES PATENT 2,481,623 ori-"ICE PUMPIN G JACK Fr'ea n. Rues, Lafayette, caux., signor to The Pelton- Water Wheel Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application May c, 1946, sena! No. 667,717

7 Claims.

My invention relates to means for pumping oil or other liquids from deep wells and has to y becomes desirable to furnish some means which is automatic in nature for replenishing the air supply and for maintaining a set or established air pressure within the balancing tank.

Although there are various ways of arranging for such a make-up air supply the schemes heretofore proposed are not entirely satisfactory in practice partly because of the relatively minor quantities involved and partly because of the necessity for regulating the pressure at substantially a set value or to vary only within approximately a xed range.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide in a pumping jack an air supply for the balancing tank which is in general an improvement over those heretofore known. I

Another.` object of the invention is to provide an air pump which is capable of supplying the relatively small quantities of air required from time to time without employing a good deal of complicated mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a pumping jack a. means to maintain the air in the balancing tank substantially at the desired pressure.

Itis a further object of the invention in general to improve pumping jacks.

Other objects together with the foregoing are attained in the embodiment of the invention disclosed in accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of a pumping jack system incorporating the air pumping mechanism of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the main pump and valve arrangement of the pumping jack, certain portions being broken away to disclose the interior construction in cross section on substantially a vertical diametral plane and other portions being omitted to vreduce the size of the iigure.

2. In the particular form of pumping jack shown diagrammatically there is provided a balancing 'tank 6, containing hydraulic iiuid such as oil 1,

that is permitted to egress from the tank through an opening 8, into a valve body 9 and from there into a conduit II leading to the inlet I2 of a main valvefbody I3. A valve bobbin I4 is translatable or reciprocable within thevalve body and in the extreme position shown in Figure 1 permits the passage of the oil from the inlet I2 through the interior of the main valve body to Figure 3 is a perspective showing in cr'oss section the air'pump regulating valve employed in connection with my invention.

' Figure ly is a cross section, the plane of which is' indicated bythe line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 'is'` an isometric perspective showing in cross section the pilot valve utilized in connection with 'my' invention, v

'Figure 6 is a cross section, 'the plane of which is indicated bythe line 6--6 of Figure 5.

an outlet I8 therefrom. A conduit I 1 extends from theoutlet to an inlet I8 of a main circulating pump I9 driven by anysuitable sort of prime mover. Oil which has entered the pump I9 is discharged therefrom at an increased pressure through an outlet opening 2I, connected by a duct 22 to the main valve body I3. The pumped oil enters the valve body through an opening 23 and in the position of the valve bobbin I4 shown in Figure 1 traverses the interior of the valve body and emerges therefrom through an outlet 24. A hydraulic conductor 26 leads from the outlet 24 to a. line 21' connected to an aperture 28 in an appropriate lower part of a hydraulic jack cylinder 29. Adapted to reciprocate within the cylinder 29 is a hydraulic jack piston 3| carrying a piston rod or polish rod 32 emerging from the lower end of the cylinder 29 and appropriately connected to a deep well pump (not shown).

The piston 3l is designed to reciprocate within the cylinder 29 and under the conditions just described is .urged upwardly in the cylinder by the pressure oi' the oil flowing into the entrance aperture 28. This condition of operation continues until such time as the piston 3| overrides one of a series oi upper stroke limit apertures 33. These are connected by a series of ducts 34 to a selector valve 36 in which one of the ducts is connected by a passage 31 to a control pipe line 38. In this line there Ais disposed a check valve 4I, permitting iiow therethrough in the direction of the indicated arrow and blocking iiow` in the reverse direction. Flowthrough the check valve might be expected to continue through a line 42 containing a similai` check valve 43 to any one of series of lower stroke limit apertures 44, all of which -are provided with valves 46 capable of serving either as 'check valves permittingv ow in the l direction of the indicated arrow or of being manually closed to block flow altogether. One of the valves 46, however, `normally is left open to serve as a. lower stroke limitcheck. But since the pressure below, the piston 3I is substantially unitrolled valve 46 to one end of a pilot valve housing 49. The pilot valve is preferably, as shown in Figure 2, mounted on the top of the casing I3 of the 'main valve, which in turn is mounted on top of the pump I9. The valve casing 49 is a body having an interior cavity divided into various portions. Within the body there is provided a chamber 5I .with which the pipe 41 communicates, and within which a piston 52 of substantial cross-sectional area is reciprocable.

Joined to the piston 52 by a reduced stem 53 is a valve head 54 of an appropriate smaller diameter to be reciprocable within a sleeve 56, located within the casing 49. A stem 51 connects the head 54 with a similar head 58, while an end stem 59 serves as a stop. The diameter or area ofthe heads 54 and 59 is substantially less than that of the piston 52 so that when pressure exists.

on the end oi the piston 52 the tendency is for the piston and the heads 51 and 58 as well as the intermediate stems, all together constituting a valve bobbin, to be translated to the left hand extreme position from that shown in Figure .1. Any leakage past the piston 52 ilows into a pipe line 6|' joined to an outlet 62 in the pilot valve body 49 and also continuing to a scavenger pump 63 driven by any suitable source of power and discharging into a pipe line 64, containing a check valve 66, and Joined to the balancing tank 6 at an inlet 61.

Furthermore, in the position of the pilot valve shown in Figure l` the heads 54 and 58 are so located with respect to ports 69 and 69 in the sleeve 56 that the interior of the sleeve is in communication with the scavenger pipe 6I so that the pressure from the line 41 upon the piston 52 is effective to translate the pilot valve bobbin. When'this occurs, fluid from the central chamber 1I of the main valve passes through a. pipe 12 into a pressure chamber 13 withinthe pilot valve housing and flows through ports l14 in the sleeve to the space between the heads 54 and 58 and continues then to now through a sleeve port 69 into a duct 16. This extends to a pipe 11 leading to a chamber 19 at one end of the main valve housing I3, andcontaining a piston 19. 'I'he other end of the pipe 11 connects through an aperture 9| with the chamber 5| containing th.3 piston 52 always in a position to block any pressure flow into such chamber.

However the pressure against one side of the piston 19 forces a translation of the main valve I4 in accordance with the immediately preceding translation of the pilot valve which in turn moves in response tn the operation of the .ia-ck piston 3 l. When the bobbin of the main valve translates to the left from the position shown in Figure l. a

head 92 on the valve bobbin cuts oil' iiow from thev central chamber 1| through the outlet 24 while n head R5 shifts so that the flow from the neutral chamber proceeds through the-outlet I2. .Tn ad# dition. the head 82 shifting to the left establishes free communication between the port 24, connected by the pipeline 26 and the pipeline 9.1 to the interior ofthe cvlinder 29. and a port 83 connected bv a pipe`94 to an inlet 86 tn the www I'9. The pipe 84 is also joined by a shunt nine 81 to the inlet pipe l1.

Under these circumstances the operation of the pump I9 is effective to withdraw oil from below the jack piston`3| through the aperture 28l the pipe 21 and the pipe 26 and through the main valve bodv into the port 93 and through the pines 91 and 94 into the inlets I3 and 86 of the pump. In. this position of the main valve, discharge from the pump `I9 proceeds through the central n pump chamber 1I into and through the port I2 and through the connecting pipe II back through the valve body 9 and the port 3 to the balancing tank 6. Oil being transferred from beneath the jack piston to the balancing tank, the piston lowers and continues such action until it overrides the particular one of the lower stroke limit valves 46 which happens to be selected as open. When such port is overridden the pressure previously existing therein is relieved inasmuch as the pressure above the piston is atmospheric or substantially so, and thisrelease in the pressure permits flow through the pipe 42 and past the check 43, as well as through the pipe 41 and the hand valve48, to the chamber 5| within which the piston 52 is situated.

Since the pressure acting upon the end of such Vpiston 52 is then substantially atmospheric,

whereas the pressure operating on the head 59 at its left hand position back into its right hand position as seen in Figure 1. When such motion of the pilot shuttle occurs the pressure iiuid from the pump chamber 1I is blocked from iiowing out of the chamber 13 through the port 14 inasmuch as the head 59 prevents such flow. At the same time the head 54 has shifted so that appropriate ilow occurs from the chamber 19 through the line 11' and the pipe 16 through the port 69 and thence through the port 63 into the pilot valve chamber, and from thence through the outlet 62 through the line 6I back to the scavenge pump 63 and to the balancing tank 6.

'I'here is provided a means for shutting down the entire system in the event of breakage of the piston rod 32 or any connected appurtenances which reduce the pressure beneath the piston 3|.

For that reason the line 21, which is in communif cation with' the cylinder 29 below the piston 3|, is connected through a hand valve 9| to a cylinder 92, by means of a pipe 93. In the cylinder 92 a piston 94 is reciprocable and the piston itself is connected by a stem 96 to a poppet valve 91 normally held open by the pressure exerted through the lines 21 and 93 on the piston 94, and therefore permitting iiow from the balancing tank through the valve body 9 to the pump I9. However, When the pressure in the line 93 fails, due to failure of .the pressure within the cylinder 29, it is no longer eilective upon the piston 94 and the superior pressure upon such piston and upon the valve 91 from the interior of the tank 6 is eiective immediately to shut the valve 91 and to block ow through the body 9 and pipe I I thus depriving .the system of its operating fluid ,and causing it to shut down. To make sure that the piston 94 is readily operable any leakage thereby is drained ol! through a port 98 into a line 99 connected bya pipe IIII to the scavenge line 6I and such leakage is therefore returned to the tank 6.

' Sometimes it is dillicult to re-establish ow past the valve 91, that is to re-open the valve in restarting the mechanism after repairing any dimculty .which may have caused it automatically to shut down, and for thatreason I provide a shunt line |02 around the valve 91 and in the shunt line interpose a manually controlled valve `|03 normally shut but readily operable when needed.

Furthermore there is provided a structure for effectuating a slowing down or'retardation of the system in the event under some unusual circumstances the scavenge line 6I' or its connecting lin should become clogged or overloadedto the point that the scavenge pump 63 could not handle f the volume. Under those circumstances the pressure within the scavenge line 6|, for example, increases and is transmitted through the pipe and through a hand valve |04 into a line |06, which has communication through a port |01 with one side of a piston |08 operating in a relief valve chamber |99. The other side of the piston |08 is in communication through a port III with a line ||2 leading to aspring pressed relief valve II3 opening through a port I4 to the atmosphere.

Within the relief valve chamber |09 is a spring ||6 provided with an adjusting stem I1 to regulate its pressure upon the piston |08 and likewise there'is provided a. poppet valve ||8 eiective to control dow through the valve chamber |09 past a seat |I9. Communicating with the valve chamber on one side of the seat I I9 is a pipe |2| leading to the pump outlet or high pressure side 2|, while communicating with the other side of the seat ||9 through 'a pipe |22 is the pressure on the intake or low pressure side oi' the pump. Under these circumstances whenever pressure in the scavenge line exceeds a predetermined value, the resulting flow through the port |01 displaces the piston |98 toward the right in Figure l, discharging any otherwise trapped iiuid from the chamber |99 through the duct I I and pipe I2 to the atmosphere through the relief valve ||3. Simultaneously the spring I I6 is compressed from its adjusted value and oil is permitted to ow from the outlet side of the pump through the pipe |2I and past the valve seat I9, then through the pipe |22 to the pump inlet. Since this is a short circuit or shunt flow the major output of the pump is diverted locally and the remainder only is utilized in actuating the pumping jack system. Thus the system is operated at a reduced rate until such time as the scavenge pump 63 is effective yto remove the excess oil from the scavenge system and to reduce the pressure existing therein. Upon the occurrence of that event the pressure acting on the piston |08 through the port |01 is reduced, the spring H6 is again effective to seat the valve |I9, thus blocking the short circuit or shunt iiow through the main pump and restoring the parts to the position shown in Figure l.

Under these conditions, the relief valve ||3 closes under the influence of its spring and any leakage past the piston |08 drains through the line |01 and through the pipe III past a check valve |23 into the line |06 and into the scavenge line 6I. The valve I 04 is for manual operation in the event it is ever desired to impose the pressure existing within the balancing tank 6 upon the piston |98 for trial operation of the overload system. Comparably, the valve 9| is for manual operation in the event it is desired to connect the emergency shut down valve 91 with the scavenge system in order to shut off the operation of the pumping jack. Similarly, the valve 48 permits manual operation of the pilot valve.

As so far described the pumping jack is primarily a hydraulic implement operated by a fluid such as oil. In addition, however, the balancing tank 6 contains a volume |26 of atmospheric air at an elevated pressure, in fact at the same pressure as the oil body 1, to serve as a cushion for the varying oil volume in the balancing chamber. The air body |26 is subject not only to expansion and contraction but is also subject to depletion due to leakage and other causes, and for that reason there is provided a means for aiiording make-up or additional air to the volume |26 so as to maintain an air supply at a predetermined pressure.

In accordance with my invention there is provided an air pump generally designated |21, incorporated with the main valve. The air pump (Figure 2v) comprises a head |28 removably secured to one end of the main valve body I3 and defining an air compressor cylinder |29. Designed to operate in such cylinder is an air compressor piston |3| provided with suitable sealing rings |32 thereon and connected yby a suitable junction |33 to the reciprocating bobbin I4 of the main valve. Thus as the main valve bobbin reciprocates the air compressor piston |3| is concurrently reciprocated to vary the volume of the chamber |29. Air which is inspirated during the instroke of the piston |3| is compressed during an outstroke and is discharged from thev chamber |29 through an outlet check valve |34 normally urged closed by an outlet spring |36. The compressed air flows through a pipe |31 to a secondary check valve |38 and through a port |39 into the balancing tank 6.

Air for supplying the air compressor is inducted from thel atmosphere through a illter if desired (not shown) and through a line I4I leading into a. control valve body |42. The air enters a chamber |43 within the body |42 and passes through an annular barrierl |44 to an outlet duct |46 connected by a conduit |41 to an inlet check valve chamber |48. Within such chamber is a thimble |49, affording communication with the duct |41 and with a, port |5| merging with the chamber |29 and carrying a gravitationally closed check valve |52. A groove on the side of the thimble aiords free access of air from one side thereof to the other. During an intake stroke of the piston |3I, air is drawn through the duct |4| to the chamber |43 through the barrier |44 and through the duct |46 past the thereupon opened check valve |52 into the compressor cylinder. As soon, however, as the compressor piston |3| traverses the duct I5! the duct is blocked and the trapped air within the chamber is compressed and expelled. During the outward or discharge stroke o the piston |3| the check valve |52 seats on the thimble and prevents retrogressive air flow.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for regulating the operation of the air compressor so that the air contained within the tank 6 is maintained at substantially the desired pressure at all times. For this reason within the body |42 there is provided a piston |56 which is reciprocable within a cylinder |51 formed in the body. The piston motion is under the influence of and is in response to the pressure of oil derived from the tank 6 and communicated through the line and through a branch conduit |58 joined to the inlet I2 of the main valve body I3. The tendency of the oil is to communicate the tank pressure to the piston to translate the piston |56 to the left. Movement of the piston to the left is resisted by a coil spring |59 contained in an extension I 6| of the body I 42 and bearing at one end upon a thimble |62. A needle |63 spans the space between the thimble and a depression |64 in the piston |56 to take care of any minor misalignment between the thimble and the piston. The other end of the spring |59 bears against a cap |66 adjusted in position by a screw |61 in the threaded end |68 of the body |6| and held in adjusted relationship by a lock nut |69 and a cap nut |1|.

By appropriately adjusting the screw |61 and holding the adjustment by means of the nuts |69 and |1|, a predetermined spring pressure is transmitted to the piston |56. The spring |56 normally holds the piston against an end plug |12 in the body |42 while the pressure on the piston transmitted through the conduit |58 vis under a predetermined value. During suchtime the parts are substantially as shown in Figure 3 so that air ows freely from the atmosphere through the regulating body |42 to the air compressor and is pumped from there to the tank 6. Thus all the time that the main valve reciprocates under the influence of the pilot valve, in turn responsive to the reciprocation of ,the pump-f ing jack, air is compressed into the tank 6. Continuance of such operation increases the pressure within 'the tank until such time as it -is suilcient, being transmitted through the conpump, means for conducting `air from said-air pump to said tank,- and means forreciprocating said air pump by the reciprocation of said vmain valve.

balancing tank, and .a reciprocating main-valve controlling oil ilow fromsaid pump, the combination of a reciprocating air pump, means for duit |58, to force the piston |56 toward the left in Figure 3. Ehe spring |59 is compressed until such time as the piston |56 rides to the left sufiicientlyto occupy all of the space within the annulus |44 and to block iiow from the inletV |4| through the body |42 to the pump. This starves the air pump of air. Under these circumstances a movement of the air compressor piston |3| toward the right in Figure 2 is ineffective to lift the check valve |52 from its seat because of the absence oi air flow to the check valve. Air ow to the air compressor is entirely interrupted and although it reciprocates, the compressor does so idly without displacing any air through the duct |31 into the tank 6.

f The air compressor is not effective to charge any additional air` into the tank 6 until such 'time as leakage or other causes reduce the pressure in the air volume |26. When that occurs thenV the pressure transmitted from the tank by the oil body is then effective through the pipe .Il and the conduit |58 to relax the pressure slightly upon the piston |56. The spring |59 becomes again eiective due to its thensuperior urgency to translate the piston |56 from its position blocking the annulus |44 back into the position shown in Figure 3, wherein the annulus |44 is again entirely free and air can ow fromy the inlet |4| through the controller valve body |42 and through'the duct |41 past the check valve |52 into the air compressor. As the compressor continually reciprocates under the inuence of the bobbin |4 of the main valve, it is again made effective to supply air to thev tank 6, thus completing a make-up cycle.

This operation repeats itself from time to time under fluctuations in pressure within the tank 6 and the net result is to keep the tank charged with air at an appropriate pressure. 'Ihe pressure is determined hydraulically by the uid bemade up from time to time as indicated by the` pressure requirements.

I claim 1. In a pumping jack having a balancing ta a pump drawing from said balancing tank, and a reciprocating main valve controlling flow from said pump, the combination of a reciprocating air' conducting air from said pump to said tank, and

means for mechanically connecting, said air pump'` and said valve for coniointreciprocation.

3. In a pumping jack having a. balancing tank for air and oil, an oil pump drawing oil from'saidv balancing tank, and a main valve having a reciprocating bobbin controlling oil flow from said pump, the combination of an air pump having a piston, means for conducting air from said air pump to said tank, a'nd means for connecting said bobbin and said piston.

4. In a pumping jack having a balancing tank l vfor air and oil, an oil pump drawingo'il from said balancing tank, and a main valve having a re-` ciprocating bobbin controlling oil flow from saidl pump, the combination of an vair pump having a piston, means for conducting air from said air` pump to said tank, means joining said piston and said bobbin, and means responsive to oil pressure for disabling said air pump.

5. In a pumping jack having a jack cylinder, a jack piston, a balancing tank for air and oil,

an oil pump drawing oil from said balancing tank, and' a main valve having a bobbin controlling oil flow from said pump to said cylinder, the

combination of means for reciprocating said bobf bin in accordance with the position of said jack piston, an ali-,pump having a-,piston, means for connecting said air pump piston andsaid bobbin,- and means for supplying air from sad\air pump tosaid tank.

6. In a pumping jack having a jack cylinderfa jack piston, a balancing tank for air and oil, kan oil pump drawing oil from said balancing tank, a main valve having a reciprocating bobbin for controlling oil iiow from said pump to said jack cylinder, and a pilot valve responsive to motion oi!` said jack piston for controlling the operation of said main valve, the combination of an air pump for supplying air to said tank, and means on said bobbin for driving said air pump.

7. In a pumping jack having a jack cylinder, a jack piston, a balancing tank for air and oil, an oil pump drawing oil from said balancing tank, a valve having a reciprocating bobbin responsive to the position of said piston for controlling oil flow from said pump to said cylinder, the combination of means driven by said bobbin for supplying air to said tank.

' FRED H. RUED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Twyman et al. Apr. `25, 1944` 

